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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29444946">Shelter From The Storm</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht'>Polarnacht</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Winged Parabatai [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Shadowhunters (TV), The Shadowhunter Chronicles - Cassandra Clare</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Alternate Universe - Wings, Feelings, Fluff, Happy Ending, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mortality, Parabatai, Protective Alec Lightwood, Rain, Winged Alec Lightwood, cuddling in the rain, parabatai love</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-16</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-15 18:00:24</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,135</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29444946</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Polarnacht/pseuds/Polarnacht</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Jace is angry at Alec for eating his yoghurt, Alec tries to find out what the real trigger for Jace’s anger is. </p><p>Part four of the “Winged Parabatai” series where Alec shelters Jace from the falling rain and dark thoughts.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alec Lightwood/Jace Wayland</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Winged Parabatai [4]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2135622</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>14</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>51</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Shelter From The Storm</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><ul class="associations">
      <li>For <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kissa/gifts">Kissa</a>.</li>


        <li>
            Inspired by

            <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29096340">Wings Suck, Anyway</a> by <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kissa/pseuds/Kissa">Kissa</a>.
        </li>

    </ul><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>This is for you Kissa, as your sheltering idea and your fic "Wings Suck, Anyway" inspired this! Thank you so much for letting me write my own version of it, I hope you enjoy my take! </p><p>A huge thank you to Jessa for being my beta!</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>
    
  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>“So,” Alec says while stepping up to Jace who is sitting on the backrest of a park bench, his eyes fixed on a spot in the distance only he can see. Dusk is already settling in and the playground in front of them is empty. Grey clouds chase each other in the darkening sky, a swing rocks gently in the harshly blowing wind. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jace doesn’t look up, he just huffs and remains otherwise silent. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You’re angry with me.” Alec continues, sitting down next to him, but giving him the space he knows Jace needs. Space </span>
  <em>
    <span>he</span>
  </em>
  <span> doesn’t need or want, but he knows his Parabatai does. His words are half a statement, half a question, because Alec has no idea why Jace is angry, he just knows he is. It radiates from him and he feels the turmoil in their bond. Well, Alec has a faint idea, but he doubts that Jace’s anger really comes down to him eating the last stracciatella yoghurt that was supposed to be Jace’s. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jace huffs again, and just when Alec thinks he will remain silent, he starts to speak. “You ate my yoghurt.”</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alec has to bite down hard on his bottom lip to suppress the laugh that wants to build and escape. He glances over to Jace who is still not looking at him but is now scrutinizing the swing as if it personally insulted him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“I did. And I’m sorry.” Alec manages to really sound that way.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, it’s very simple. It’s a pack of four, for four people. Izzy, Max, you and me. I really was looking forward to eating it.” Just when Jace closes his mouth, the clouds burst open and the first drops of rain fall on their faces, making them both look up. Without saying a word, Alec entangles his wings from his back, spreading one to shelter Jace from the rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jace huffs, but Alec sees from the corner of his eye the small smile that is tugging on Jace’s lips at the gesture. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You and your damn wings.” Jace says incredulously, though he doesn’t move away but stays under the cover the wing provides. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alec rests his arms on his knees, leaning forward, but still eying Jace out of the corner of his eyes. “You love my wings. And I can buy you a new yoghurt. I </span>
  <em>
    <span>will </span>
  </em>
  <span>buy you a new yoghurt.” The </span>
  <em>
    <span>and you love me </span>
  </em>
  <span>stays unsaid, but it is clearly there. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jace rolls his eyes but suppresses the huff. Of course he </span>
  <em>
    <span>does </span>
  </em>
  <span>love Alec’s wings. Of course he </span>
  <em>
    <span>does </span>
  </em>
  <span>love Alec. And he </span>
  <em>
    <span>knows </span>
  </em>
  <span>that he can get a new yoghurt tomorrow, but all this is clearly not the fucking point. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if you can’t buy it tomorrow? What then, Alec?” Jace finally drags his eyes off the swing to look at Alec. Their eyes lock and Jace sees the understanding dawning in Alec’s gaze. The fucking point has nothing to do with a damn yoghurt, but all with the possibility that there might not be a tomorrow. For him. For Alec. Or maybe even for the two of them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know I’ll do my best, Jace.” Alec is completely serious now, all laughter washed away like sunbeams in the rain.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“And what if your best is just not good enough?” </span>
  <em>
    <span>What if you can’t catch me when I fall? What if I won’t catch you? What if we never stop falling? </span>
  </em>
  <span>It remains unsaid, but it’s clearly there, as pronounced as if Jace spoke out loud.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Alec holds his hand out to Jace, relieved when Jace takes it after a split second of hesitation and lets himself be pulled into Alec’s lap. “My best is better than most, Jace. Your best is definitely better than most. And </span>
  <em>
    <span>our</span>
  </em>
  <span> best is, well, the best.” Alec brushes his lips over Jace’s neck, folding his wings protectively around them. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jace sighs and nods. It’s true. But it’s also not a promise. That there will be a tomorrow that holds both of them in it. There can’t be a promise, he knows that. But sometimes he wishes there was one. There is that saying, </span>
  <em>
    <span>to live one’s life like every day could be your last</span>
  </em>
  <span>. But Jace doesn’t want that. He just doesn’t. Because it’s tiring. It’s exhausting. It makes you lose your mind about unimportant things. He just wants a guarantee that it’s not the end of the world when no yoghurt is left because there </span>
  <em>
    <span>will</span>
  </em>
  <span> be a next day, a next yoghurt. He wants to be sure to wake up and still have Alec by his side without having to check their bond to see if Alec returned safely from a mission. He just wants a guarantee that Alec won’t get hurt or worse. And he just wants a guarantee that he himself will live to see another day.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It just sucks,” Jace mutters, burying his head in Alec’s nape, letting the closeness soothe him. He knows this will pass and he will see the brighter side of things. He already starts to do so when Alec begins to card his fingers gently through his hair.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It does,” Alec agrees, because it really does. Shadowhunters die young, they all know that. Just sometimes, they are more aware of it than at other times. Sometimes they see the endless days lying ahead of them, sparkling in the sun, whereas on days like today, all they feel is the iron grip of death. All they see is rain. “But I brought you another yoghurt.” </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jace peeks up and eyes the yoghurt suspiciously that Alec is holding out to him. “It’s vanilla.” Jace doesn’t sound impressed. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It is. But with chocolate chips.” Alec doesn’t make an effort to suppress his grin this time. “And I know, it’s still not stracciatella,” he adds, before Jace can even open his mouth. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>“It sure as hell is not.” But Jace can never resist Alec’s grin, so he takes the yoghurt, opens it and licks the lid clean. It </span>
  <em>
    <span>does </span>
  </em>
  <span>taste okay, but this is nothing he will admit now. He plucks the offered spoon out of Alec’s hand to take another mouthful.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“You know, I would never find a vanilla-you.” Jace says quietly, resting his head against Alec’s shoulder.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>“Me neither, Jace. With or without chocolate chips.” Alec replies in the same serene tone, accepting the spoon with vanilla yoghurt Jace is offering to him. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>They both look up at the sky, where the clouds have thickened and the rain hasn’t stopped falling. Their hair and faces are soaked, but they don’t mind. Sometimes it’s the tiny drops that turn into acid and pierce your skin, not the heavy rain. Sometimes the heavy rain feels cleansing and just right. Especially when cuddled together and covered in huge, ink black wings. </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Kudos and comments are loved 💙</p></blockquote></div></div>
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